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Bldrjac
Ice climber
Boulder
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Tim,
I never knew your brother, but my late husband, Jack Roberts, climbed a bit with him, and they did a couple big trips and routes together. Jack always spoke fondly of Tobin, as have everyone else I have ever spoken to that knew him. He seemed to be a remarkable person, and I'm sorry his life was cut so short. Having semi-recently lost Jack to a climbing accident, I can relate to the shock and grief you experienced, and how, like it or not, it changes the trajectory of your life. I do not yet know what direction I'm going.....I still just try to keep moving forward, in whichever direction that happens to be.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences. It sounds like Tobin would be very proud of you, and how you have lived your life.
Best,
Pam Roberts
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Thanks for the story Tim. I had read stories of your brother when I got into climbing a couple of decades ago. He sounded like quite the person.
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Bushman
Social climber
The island of Tristan da Cunha
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2014 - 05:06pm PT
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Pam,
I remember when Tobin came back from climbing the first winter ascent of the Grand Central Couloir on Mt. Kitchener with your husband Jack Roberts. He had lost a lot of weight and was having digestive/stomach problems. He said that Jack was worse off with frostbite in his feet and was still being treated after several weeks. He told me how they left the bivy gear at the base because they expected to climb the route in one day, and how they ran out of light and chopped a ledge to spend the night running in place on the open face to stay warm enough to survive. He said they ran out of fuel in their stoves and the lithium batteries in their headlamps quit working in the subzero temperatures. They finished the climb the next day but not without complications to Jack's feet.
I asked him what he ate up there and he told me they ate primarily butter and chocolate because the high fat content was the only way to replace all the calories they were losing from climbing in the extreme cold. I couldn't believe the extremes they went to trying to accomplish the amazing things they did. If I had asked Tobin why he would go to such lengths he probably would have just given me that look.
Thank you for your kind words, Pam. My heart goes out to you for Jack.
-Tim Sorenson
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hashbro
Trad climber
Mental Physics........
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Tim, thanks for your story and recall our cold night together on Tahquitz in 1973.
Did you by chance remember the night before our rescue on Stoner's Ridge, when Tobin farmed you out with us.....so he could climb with the big boys the following day? Also, do you remember the rack suggestion that Richard made for our ascent of White Maiden's Walkway?
good fun with our memories and not fun to be very cold on a ledge.
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Bldrjac
Ice climber
Boulder
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Tim,
Thanks for the memories and the kind words. Jack's feet were probably never destined to be attractive, but after that trip with Tobin, they ended up being fairly mangled. I think it was that same year he went on the North Face of Mt. Huntington with Simon McCartney, and frostbit his feet again. As a result of those two trips, his feet were legendarily "unique." I wish I had met Tobin.....I'm sure you wish things had ended up differently as well.
Best,
Pam
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Bushman
Social climber
The island of Tristan da Cunha
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Topic Author's Reply - Nov 3, 2014 - 07:36pm PT
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White Maiden's Walkway?
Hey Spenser,
Let's just say at age 15 and on one of my first few rock climbs I was already off to a 'rocky' start. After being caught out at night on one of the easiest routes on Tahquitz, we were to endure the humiliation of being keel hauled to the top of the rock like sacks of potatoes and being dressed down by the 'big boys who rescued us. Tobin wouldn't climb with me for years after that...Good times, ha ha!
Good to hear from you again after all these years.
No...what was the rack suggestion?
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